ll see more of it before all is done. For the last time,
think ere the curse of your God and your people falls upon you, and
after it, death. For fall I say it shall, I, who, as Pharaoh knows
to-day, am no false prophet, and as that Prince knows also."

"I do not think that my God, who sees the hearts of those that he has
made, will avenge himself upon a woman because she refuses to be wedded
to a murderer whom of her own will she never chose, which, Priest, is
the fate you offer me. Therefore I am content to leave judgment in
the hands of the great Judge of all. For the rest I defy you and your
commands. If I must be slaughtered, let me die, but at least let me die
mistress of myself and free, who am no man's love, or wife, or slave."

"Well spoken!" whispered Seti to me.

Then this priest became terrible. Waving his arms and rolling his wild
eyes, he poured out some hideous curse upon the head of this poor maid,
much of which, as it was spoken rapidly in an ancient form of Hebrew,
we did not understand. He cursed her living, dying, and after death.
He cursed her in her love and hate, wedded or alone. He cursed her in
child-bearing or in barrenness, and he cursed her children after her to
all generations. Lastly, he declared her cut off from and rejected by
the god she worshipped, and sentenced her to death at the hands of any
who could slay her. So horrible was that curse that she shrank away
from him, while Jabez crouched about the ground hiding his eyes with his
hands, and even I felt my blood turn cold.

At length he paused, foaming at the lips. Then, suddenly, shouting,
"After judgment, doom!" he drew a knife from his robe and sprang at her.

She fled behind us. He followed, but Seti, crying, "Ah, I thought it,"
leapt between them, as he did so drawing the iron sword which he wore
with his ceremonial dress. At him he sprang and the next thing I saw was
the red point of the sword standing out beyond the priest's shoulders.

Down he fell, babbling:

"Is this how you show your love for Israel, Prince?"

"It is how I show my hate of murderers," answered Seti.

Then the man died.

"Oh!" cried Merapi wringing her hands, "once more I have caused Hebrew
blood to flow and now all this curse will fall on me."

"Nay, on me, Lady, if there is anything in curses, which I doubt, for
this deed was mine, and at the worst yonder mad brute's knife did not
fall on you."

"Yes, life is left if only for a little while. Ha